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October 27, 2004
Halloween and Catholicism: Can these two Co-exist?
As Catholics, we are constantly bombarded by a secular culture that tends to embrace things that are unabashedly non-Catholic. Clearly, Halloween is a secular holiday, but it includes a very anti-religious bent. Can we as Catholics participate in Halloween activities? Is this somehow relating to the occult?
A Short History
Believe it or not, Halloween actually got its name from the important holiday on November 1st: All Saints Day or “All Hallows Day.” The night before was All Hallows Eve, which developed into Halloween (it’s an odd contraction).
Halloween as we know it began with the Celtic holiday of Samhain. The Celts believed that on October 31st (the last day of the Celtic year) the souls of the dead could return and take over the body of a human. To prevent possession, the Celts would extinguish fires and dress up in scary costumes (to scare those souls coming to possess them). In 835, Pope Gregory IV made November 1st All Saints Day (it was All Martyrs Day then). And as the Romans conquered the Celts, the Celtic Samhain was adopted by parts of the Roman Empire and mingled with other pagan practices. Finally, it intermingled with the European practice of “souling” in the 9th century: On November 2nd (All Souls Day), Catholics would walk from village to village begging for Soul cakes and offering prayers for the dead in return.
But perhaps my favorite part of Halloween is the story of the Jack O’Lantern. The story goes that Jack was constantly being tempted by the devil. One day, Jack tricked the devil into climbing a tree and quickly carved a cross into the wood, trapping the devil in the tree. In return for a promise never to tempt Jack again, the devil was released. However, after death, Jack was not allowed into heaven because he had never performed a selfless act and he was blocked out of hell because he had tricked the devil. So, he roamed the earth with candle in a hollowed out gourd.
These practices intermingled over time and were eventually brought to America by Irish Immigrants in the 1800’s.
Practical Ramifications for your Family
So, Halloween didn’t actually develop out of a love for witchcraft, but an odd set of practices somewhat relating to Catholicism. But frankly in modern America, it’s the witches who have taken over the holiday. Should your kids participate?
I think as Catholics we can make Halloween a more positive holiday that can be enjoyed. I’d recommend a few guidelines to encourage faith while discouraging the negative aspects of Halloween:
- Don’t allow “evil” costumes. We push our children to dress up as Saints or, in the worst case, “good” secular characters. No demons, vampires, etc. which don’t support our faith.
- Focus on November 1st & 2nd. Rather than emphasizing Halloween, emphasize All Saints Day and All Souls Day. Both days can be used to refocus Halloween on a positive Christian viewpoint. For example, have your children go to All Saints Day parties rather than Halloween parties (many parishes will offer this, if not organize it yourself).
- Explain the Catholic background to Halloween. Explain to your children how Halloween evolved out of Catholic customs. This gives them a reference point for how the day should be viewed. For older children, I would also recommend explaining how Halloween has been deformed from it’s original state and how they can be a witness simply by dressing in more Christian costumes.
- Pray for the Dead. This is the perfect opportunity for your family to pray for the souls of the departed and perform penance. Begin your celebration of All Saints Day and All Souls Day with a family Rosary for the departed on Halloween. In other words, take the day back to where it should be: a day associated with the two following feasts.
Halloween is often seen as an evil day, because of the changes that have occurred to the original celebrations. Make sure your family understands the “how” and “why.” In addition, stay away from purely secular parts of Halloween that seem to emphasize the wicked side. We avoid certain Halloween parties and skip haunted houses. But we do trick-or-treat (a little) and you are certain to make an impression as a Padre Pio or a Mother Teresa at the door!
God bless,
Jay
Posted by HolyFamily at October 27, 2004 11:05 AM
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Comments
My children's mother-in-law is a protestant. My 5 year old was told that halloween is witchcraft. She has also said that she is sad because she won't see her grandchildren in heaven. I don't know what to do.
Posted by: Susan Price at December 5, 2005 11:53 AM
Susan,
Sorry to hear about your predicament. I'm in a similar situation, since all of my family and my wife's family is protestant (we're converts). I think my advice would be twofold:
1) I would make it clear to your mother-in-law that she is never to suggest to a five-year old that they will not make it to heaven. This is unforgivable.
2) I would also take the bull by the horns, so to speak, and directly point out Scripture (such as the second half of John chapter 6) that teach clear Catholicism. By the way, John suggests that only Catholics go to heaven ;-) Take a look at our other website Deo Omnis Gloria, which works as an apologetics site. I would also recommend starting to teach your children details of Catholicism in the Bible, so that they are prepared more in the future. Although a five-year old can't argue with an adult, it's a good way to begin shoring up their faith for future issues like this.
I'll pray for you and your family - this is a difficult situation. But I do believe the more you know about the history of Christianity and the Bible as it relates to Catholicism, the better.
God bless,
Jay
PS - feel free to email me with any issues (jay [at] livingcatholicism [dot] com)
Posted by: Jay at December 8, 2005 11:10 PM
